וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ית בַּֽחֲמִשִׁי֙ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ בָּ֧אוּ אֲנָשִׁ֛ים מִזִּקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לִדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ לְפָנָֽי׃ (ס)
און עס איז געװען אין זיבעטן יאָר, אין פֿינפֿטן חודש, אין צענטן טאָג פֿון חודש, זײַנען געקומען מענער פֿון די עלטסטע פֿון ישׂראל צו פֿרעגן בײַ גאָט, און זײ זײַנען געזעסן פֿאַר מיר.
Rashi
after King Zedekiah had made a covenant In the seventh year of his reign. So we learned it in Seder Olam (ch. 26): “And it came to pass in the seventh year...men came of the elders of Judah (sic) to inquire of the Lord” (Ezekiel 20:1). They said to Ezekiel, ‘The slave of a priest whom his owner sold what is the ruling regarding whether he may eat of the priest’s due?’ That is to say, because they wanted to say that they should not be punished for infracting the commandment by returning the slaves.
Rabbeinu Bahya
It is possible to understand the word ובאלתו as referring to G’d, meaning “and by means of His oath which He swore to you.” The whole verse then would mean: “you are standing here today ready to enter the covenant and oath of the Lord by means of which He swore that You will be His people and that He will be your G’d.” The verse following would prove that this is the meaning, seeing the Torah writes there: “as He said to you and swore to your fathers.” Further reinforcement of this interpretation is provided by Samuel I 12,22: “seeing that the Lord had agreed (sworn) to make you His people.” Even though all the commentators there understand the word הואיל to be an expression of G’d’s goodwill, grace, I believe the word הואיל in that verse derives from the word אלה, and means “for G’d swore to make you His people.” This does not preclude that the oath itself was an expression of G’d’s goodwill towards the people so that there is no conflict between the two interpretations. Still further proof of the meaning of אלה in our verse is the comment in Tanchuma Nitzavim 3 on Song of Songs 7,6: מלך אסור ברהטים, usually translated as “a king held captive by tresses” (of hair). According to the Midrash the meaning is “a king who is bound by his oath.” The word אסר meaning oath, occurs in Numbers 30,7. G’d’s oath to the patriarchs that He would not exchange the Jewish people for any other nation is what ties Him to Israel. The word רהטים in the verse from Song of Songs which we quoted is a reference to the patriarchs; this word occurs in the record of their life stories both in Genesis 18,7 where the word הבקר is rendered by Onkelos as רהט; as well as in connection with Yaakov in Genesis 30,38. This is why G’d cannot violate His oath to the patriarchs .
You will find that in Ezekiel 20 when the Jewish people challenged the continued validity of the Torah’s commandments by describing themselves as having been freed (sold) by their master (G’d) since they had become exiled, that the prophet did not accept that argument and vehemently pointed out that the basic relationship between G’d and the Jewish people is an eternal bond, that severing it would mean the total demise of the party who severed it. [I have merely summarized the dialogue in Ezekiel 20. Ed.] Basically, Ezekiel’s argument was that as long as the master had not received monetary compensation from the “buyer” of the slave no transaction had taken place at all; the Jewish people still belong to their erstwhile master, i.e. G’d. This is also reflected in the words of Isaiah 52,3: “you have been sold חנם, without price, therefore you will also be redeemed without monetary compensation having to be paid.”
You will find that in Ezekiel 20 when the Jewish people challenged the continued validity of the Torah’s commandments by describing themselves as having been freed (sold) by their master (G’d) since they had become exiled, that the prophet did not accept that argument and vehemently pointed out that the basic relationship between G’d and the Jewish people is an eternal bond, that severing it would mean the total demise of the party who severed it. [I have merely summarized the dialogue in Ezekiel 20. Ed.] Basically, Ezekiel’s argument was that as long as the master had not received monetary compensation from the “buyer” of the slave no transaction had taken place at all; the Jewish people still belong to their erstwhile master, i.e. G’d. This is also reflected in the words of Isaiah 52,3: “you have been sold חנם, without price, therefore you will also be redeemed without monetary compensation having to be paid.”
Ramban
AND WHEN YE SHALL ERR, AND NOT OBSERVE ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS. This section is obscure in meaning, and the commentators of the plain meaning of Scripture183A veiled reference to Ibn Ezra, who [in Verse 27] interprets the verse in this way. — But this is obviously not the accepted law. See Vol. III, pp. 11-13, with the respective notes. have mistakenly explained it as referring to an offering which must be brought by one who has unwittingly failed to observe what G-d has commanded him to do. But these words are words of wind!184Job 16:3. For if so, there would be an obligation to bring an offering for any of the positive commandments of the Torah, if a person did not fulfill them all and unwittingly [neglected to do] any one of them, and there would [also] be the punishment of excision185Further, Verses 30-31. for anyone who does not fulfill them all, that is, who neglected knowingly to do [any] one of them, since Scripture states, even all that the Eternal hath commanded him unto you!186Verse 23. Moreover, He stated here, And it shall be if it be ‘done’ in error by the congregation,187Verse 24. [clearly indicating] that the error consists of a [positive] act which they did, and not of sitting back and failing to act! Similarly, But the soul that ‘doeth’ ought with a high hand188Further, Verse 30. [which also indicates that the sin consisted of doing something which the Torah prohibited]. But the meaning [of the verse before us] is: “When ye shall err and not observe what G-d has commanded [you to do], but you do the opposite.” Or it [may be that the verse] is stating that [if] “ye shall err and not observe His commandments, namely those things that He has commanded you not to do,” since matters prohibited by a negative commandment are also called “commandments,” just as He said, If any one shall sin through error against any of ‘the commandments’ of the Eternal concerning things which ought not to be done.189Leviticus 4:2. Now this offering [mentioned here] which the congregation has to bring when sinning in error is different from the offering mentioned in the section of Vayikra, for there He commanded [the congregation] to bring a bullock for a sin-offering,190Ibid., Verse 14. and here He commanded them to bring a bullock for a burnt-offering and a he-goat for a sin-offering.191Verse 24 here. Therefore our Rabbis had to say that this offering [mentioned here] applies only to worshipping idols in error [and hence has a stricter form of atonement].
The language of the verses [here] without being taken out of its simple meaning and implication is [to be understood as if] He were saying: “And when ye shall err in all the commandments, and transgress all that G-d has commanded you by the hand of Moses,186Verse 23. inasmuch as you will not do anything of that which He has commanded you, then you shall bring this offering.” Therefore He does not mention here, as He does with reference to those offerings [brought] for [committing a particular] sin, ‘any of all the commandments’ of the Eternal192Leviticus 4:13. [since the reference here is to transgressing all the commandments, and not just one of them, as is explained further on]. Thus this section according to its plain meaning refers to [the duty of] one who is unwittingly an “apostate” with regard to the entire Torah, [to bring] an offering, such as one who goes and becomes assimilated amongst one of the nations, and behaves as they do and does not want to be part of Israel at all. This applies if it was all done in error, such as — in the case of an individual — a child who was taken into captivity among the nations [and grew up unaware of his Jewish origin], and in the case of the community, if they [mistakenly] thought that the time of the Torah had already passed, and that it was not given for all generations; or if they say — as is mentioned in the Sifre193Sifre, Shelach 115. — “‘Why did G-d give [the Torah]? Was it not so that we should observe it and be rewarded for it? We will not observe it, and will take no reward!’ This is similar to that which the Israelites said and asked of Ezekiel, as it is stated, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Eternal and sat before me.194Ezekiel 20:1. They said to him: ‘Our master Ezekiel: A slave that was sold by his master, does he not go out of his control?’195The implication is that the Babylonian exile constituted” a sale” to another “master,” and therefore they were released from the authority of the Torah. The answer was given by Isaiah: Thus saith the Eternal: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? (50:1). The exile was thus no “sale” of Israel. Instead, it continues to be G-d’s people and duty-bound to keep His commandments. etc.” Or [the section here may refer to a time] when people forget the Torah. This has already happened to us, because of our sins, for in the days of the wicked kings [of the kingdom] of Israel, such as Jeroboam, most of the people forgot the Torah and the commandments completely, as is mentioned [also] — in the Book of Ezra196Nehemiah 8:14-17. And they found written in the Torah, how that the Eternal had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel dwell in Booths … And all the congregation of them that were come back out of the captivity made Booths, and dwelt in the Booths etc. It is thus clear that the majority of the people had forgotten this commandment. See my Hebrew commentary p. 252, for a further elucidation of this point. It is important to point out that Ramban is referring only to the majority of the ordinary people, but of course even in the dark times of the kingdom of Israel, there were a significant number of individuals, who observed every commandment of the Torah. — [Ramban here calls the Book of Nehemiah “Ezra,” because it was Ezra who wrote it (Baba Bathra 15a). It is generally referred to, as such by many commentators (see e.g., Rashi on Succah 12a)]. concerning the people of the Second Temple. This, then, is the purport of our verse, for the “error” mentioned here refers to the totality of the Torah and the commandments. Therefore our Rabbis singled out one commandment, through the unwitting violation of which a person goes out of the community of Israel and all that they have been commanded, namely worshipping idols. The explanation of the verse is thus: “And when ye shall err, to walk after other gods,197Deuteronomy 11:28. and not observe one [particular] thing [which is in itself a denial] of all the commandments of the Eternal;” because one who acknowledges any divinity apart from Him, has already rendered meaningless all that the Glorious Name198Ibid., 28:58. has commanded, whether positive commandments or negative commandments, since if there were to be a deity other than Him, then the [duty of] fearing Him and [keeping] His commandments and all the obligations they entail are of no consequence.
This section thus comes to complete the laws of the priests with the law of one who worships idols in error, for this book [of Numbers] completes the laws of the offerings, as I have explained.199In the Introduction to this book, p. 4. It was put in here because the people [after hearing the false report of the spies] rebelled against the word of G-d, and said, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt,200Above, 14:4. which means to remain in Egypt as they were originally, without Torah and without the commandments. The section thus comes to inform them that even in the case of idolatry, He forgives those who are in error, but those who do it in a high hand201Verse 30. He will cut them off [from among their people]. I have already explained in Seder Acharei Moth202Leviticus 18:29, see Vol. III, pp. 275-9. the meaning of this excision.
The language of the verses [here] without being taken out of its simple meaning and implication is [to be understood as if] He were saying: “And when ye shall err in all the commandments, and transgress all that G-d has commanded you by the hand of Moses,186Verse 23. inasmuch as you will not do anything of that which He has commanded you, then you shall bring this offering.” Therefore He does not mention here, as He does with reference to those offerings [brought] for [committing a particular] sin, ‘any of all the commandments’ of the Eternal192Leviticus 4:13. [since the reference here is to transgressing all the commandments, and not just one of them, as is explained further on]. Thus this section according to its plain meaning refers to [the duty of] one who is unwittingly an “apostate” with regard to the entire Torah, [to bring] an offering, such as one who goes and becomes assimilated amongst one of the nations, and behaves as they do and does not want to be part of Israel at all. This applies if it was all done in error, such as — in the case of an individual — a child who was taken into captivity among the nations [and grew up unaware of his Jewish origin], and in the case of the community, if they [mistakenly] thought that the time of the Torah had already passed, and that it was not given for all generations; or if they say — as is mentioned in the Sifre193Sifre, Shelach 115. — “‘Why did G-d give [the Torah]? Was it not so that we should observe it and be rewarded for it? We will not observe it, and will take no reward!’ This is similar to that which the Israelites said and asked of Ezekiel, as it is stated, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Eternal and sat before me.194Ezekiel 20:1. They said to him: ‘Our master Ezekiel: A slave that was sold by his master, does he not go out of his control?’195The implication is that the Babylonian exile constituted” a sale” to another “master,” and therefore they were released from the authority of the Torah. The answer was given by Isaiah: Thus saith the Eternal: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? (50:1). The exile was thus no “sale” of Israel. Instead, it continues to be G-d’s people and duty-bound to keep His commandments. etc.” Or [the section here may refer to a time] when people forget the Torah. This has already happened to us, because of our sins, for in the days of the wicked kings [of the kingdom] of Israel, such as Jeroboam, most of the people forgot the Torah and the commandments completely, as is mentioned [also] — in the Book of Ezra196Nehemiah 8:14-17. And they found written in the Torah, how that the Eternal had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel dwell in Booths … And all the congregation of them that were come back out of the captivity made Booths, and dwelt in the Booths etc. It is thus clear that the majority of the people had forgotten this commandment. See my Hebrew commentary p. 252, for a further elucidation of this point. It is important to point out that Ramban is referring only to the majority of the ordinary people, but of course even in the dark times of the kingdom of Israel, there were a significant number of individuals, who observed every commandment of the Torah. — [Ramban here calls the Book of Nehemiah “Ezra,” because it was Ezra who wrote it (Baba Bathra 15a). It is generally referred to, as such by many commentators (see e.g., Rashi on Succah 12a)]. concerning the people of the Second Temple. This, then, is the purport of our verse, for the “error” mentioned here refers to the totality of the Torah and the commandments. Therefore our Rabbis singled out one commandment, through the unwitting violation of which a person goes out of the community of Israel and all that they have been commanded, namely worshipping idols. The explanation of the verse is thus: “And when ye shall err, to walk after other gods,197Deuteronomy 11:28. and not observe one [particular] thing [which is in itself a denial] of all the commandments of the Eternal;” because one who acknowledges any divinity apart from Him, has already rendered meaningless all that the Glorious Name198Ibid., 28:58. has commanded, whether positive commandments or negative commandments, since if there were to be a deity other than Him, then the [duty of] fearing Him and [keeping] His commandments and all the obligations they entail are of no consequence.
This section thus comes to complete the laws of the priests with the law of one who worships idols in error, for this book [of Numbers] completes the laws of the offerings, as I have explained.199In the Introduction to this book, p. 4. It was put in here because the people [after hearing the false report of the spies] rebelled against the word of G-d, and said, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt,200Above, 14:4. which means to remain in Egypt as they were originally, without Torah and without the commandments. The section thus comes to inform them that even in the case of idolatry, He forgives those who are in error, but those who do it in a high hand201Verse 30. He will cut them off [from among their people]. I have already explained in Seder Acharei Moth202Leviticus 18:29, see Vol. III, pp. 275-9. the meaning of this excision.